What's the New Normal Look Like? Adapting California's Water Systems to Climate Risk
Moderator: Felicia Marcus, William C. Landreth Visiting Fellow, Stanford University Water in the West
Panel:
Adel Hagekhalil, General Manager, Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
Sandy Kerl, General Manager, San Diego Water Authority
John Withers, Board of Directors Member, Irvine Ranch Water District
In response to California being in the midst of the worst megadrought experienced in 1,200 years, the Metropolitan Water District and the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power recently announced mandatory cutbacks as of June 1. High level discussions already have begun on the necessity of developing new tools and innovations for enhancing local water supply and management strategies adaptable to worsening conditions wrought by the climate crisis. To meet this challenge, the Met Water’s GM Adel Hagekhalil emphasizes a holistic One Water approach to watershed management and the tantamount importance of embracing and incentivizing investments in resilience. The panel will address what does the future hold for California & the Colorado Basin States’ water systems?